PAS rebuts analyst, denies 'targeting' Muhyiddin with 'welcome' for Hamzah

 

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has denied allegations that the party is targeting its Perikatan Nasional ally, Bersatu, in the ongoing internal crisis.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Tuan Ibrahim (above) instead reiterated the party’s stance that it has never interfered in Bersatu’s affairs.

Contrary to claims by political analyst Azmi Hassan of the Nusantara Strategic Research Academy, Tuan Ibrahim said the turmoil within Bersatu was not sparked by the Perlis menteri besar crisis that pitted the two parties.

“Azmi’s remarks are not true. PAS does not interfere in Bersatu’s party affairs.

“In fact, Bersatu’s internal issues erupted long before the crisis in Perlis.

“If we look at it from the beginning, it had already become a polemic during the Bersatu annual general assembly, and the subsequent action of expelling and suspending several (Bersatu) MPs was seen as further raising the temperature within Bersatu,” said Tuan Ibrahim.

Earlier, Azmi had likened PAS’ stance towards recent political developments to a manoeuvre aimed at targeting Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned as PN chairperson effective Jan 1.

Azmi Hassan

He claimed that PAS had sided with now-sacked Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin in the aftermath of the Perlis crisis, and such a move was interpreted as a move to “target” Muhyiddin.

Azmi said PAS blamed Bersatu for its party’s loss of the menteri besar post and has now purportedly welcomed Hamzah to retaliate against Muhyiddin.

State level issue

Commenting further, Tuan Ibrahim said the Perlis issue had indeed caused disappointment among PAS members after three of the party’s elected representatives were expelled for breaching party directives.

“The Perlis issue did cause disappointment and became a topic of discussion between PAS and Bersatu members, but that is a state-level issue with its own context,” he said.

However, Tuan Ibrahim added that any decision concerning Muhyiddin was a personal matter and would be discussed and decided at a PN meeting.

“The decision will be made by himself, and it will be brought to the party meeting later,” he said.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, in commenting on Hamzah’s recent visit to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang on the day of his sacking, insisted that the meeting was not a sign of endorsement for any camps.

PN is expected to hold an extraordinary supreme council meeting this Sunday, after cancellations and delays attributed to purported tensions between PAS and Bersatu.

Takiyuddin, also PN deputy secretary-general, said the special meeting has been set for Feb 22 at 3pm at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. -  Mkini